This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah State has a choice.
The Aggies can dwell on last Saturday's 78-71 loss to Nevada or they can put it behind them. They can rebound from their first home conference loss in 34 games, or they can let it snowball.
The WAC scheduling has done USU no favors. New Mexico State, perhaps the most physical and certainly one of the best rebounding teams in the league, looms on Thursday night in Las Cruces.
Getting a win at the Pan American Center will be no easy chore. So the players can mentally stabilize themselves, or it could be a long four-game road trip for a Utah State team that must right itself quickly in order to be a factor in the conference race come February.
"I have confidence in these kids," Aggies head coach Stew Morrill said. "I know that this is a team that won't quit or get down on themselves, so I know they will be back. New Mexico State is a physical team. This is going to be quite a challenge for us."
Making matters worse is the memory of Utah State being physically mauled by Nevada. The Aggies didn't play poorly against the Wolf Pack. They made shots. They scored with relative ease. They were close right to the end. Problem is, USU couldn't stop Nevada when it counted. Even when the Aggies forced the Wolf Pack to miss a shot, rare as that was, there was Dario Hunt swooping in for the offensive rebound. Or Olek Czyz. Or Malik Story. You get the picture.
New Mexico State promises much more of the same. Wendell McKines, the senior power forward, is the best rebounder in the league. Seven-footer Hamidu Rahman is healthy again, and scoring on the blocks. Tyrone Watson is physical and strong at small forward. Hernst Laroche is back for another year at point guard, running the offense.
"We know what we're facing and what we're up against," sophomore shooting guard Preston Medlin said. "Rebounding and playing physical is going to be very important to us."
Medlin is USU's leading scorer at 15 points per game. He and Brockeith Pane form a formidable duo In Utah State's backcourt.
Morgan Grim and Kyisean Reed, the two undersized forwards, could very well be the difference between the Aggies winning or heading to Louisiana Tech on Saturday with a 1-2 league record and facing a must-win scenario.
Twitter: @tonyaggieville —
Utah State at New Mexico State
P At the Pan American Center (Las Cruces, N.M.)
Tipoff • 7 p.m.
TV • KMYU
Radio • 97.5 FM
Records • Utah State 9-7, New Mexico State 11-5
Series record • Utah State leads 35-27
Last meeting • Utah State, 58-54 (March 2, 2011)
About Utah State • Kyisean Reed fouled out against Nevada on Saturday. … Brockeith Pane scored a season-high 21 points against the Wolf Pack. … Stew Morrill will be coaching his 800th career game. … Morrill is 137-79 all-time in conference games.
About New Mexico State • NMSU will be without starting guard Christian Kabongo, who was released from his scholarhip last week with the intent to transfer. … New Mexico State owns a win this year over New Mexico on the road. … Senior power forward Wendell McKines is averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds per game this season. … The two teams will be meeting for the 63rd time. … New Mexico State last beat Utah State in 2010's WAC title game, 69-63.